Comparison of Energy Efficiency Indicators of Road Transportation for Modeling Environmental Sustainability in “Green” Circular Industry

Abstract

The Finnish forest industry is committed to applying novel technologies for increasing carbon-neutral development and environmental sustainability in “green” circular industry. This study compares the energy efficiency indicators of road freight transportation. Additionally, effects of four mass limits of vehicle combinations are analyzed after a three-year adaptation process that took place in a wood procurement region of 100% renewable resources. The wood-based energy efficiency model (load’s wood energy/fossil transport energy) was the most accurate and precise measure as the development indicator. The indicator showed that the transportation systems (60, 64, 68, and 76 t) and (64, 68, and 76 t) were carbon negative (122, 133, 144, and 108) (142, 147, and 133) in 2014 and 2016, respectively. The numbers reveal positive energy ratio of renewable wood and fossil fuels. In comparison to 60 t, the use of 68 t vehicles increased energy efficiency most effectively in the systems, by 18.0% and 20.5%, respectively. The indicator robustly revealed the energy efficiency of a partial system in the smaller supply region, which depended on the region’s transportation conditions. This novel knowledge can be applied for advancing the adaptation toward carbon-neutral supply networks. There is also the development potential of an industrial ecosystem model for optimizing the environmental sustainability of “green” circular industry.